TheCapeBlog

I’ve been thinking about a revisit to the Berkshire Botanical Garden and decided yesterday was a good opportunity to do it, as well as to spin off a side trip to Great Barrington.

Neither was the peak experience I’d hoped for and I won’t go back in a hurry.

We did a shop at Walmart and Job Lot, then attended a couple of terrible performances (and one good one) at Lunder Center. Ron wondered “Who booked this tour?”

We held off on watering and just as well: it’s pouring now and expected to last all day.

Neighbors have returned from their vacation.

The “J’s” finished construction work early, so they installed the new door, which looks beautiful – and it works.

“Sparky” was here to install Ron’s ceiling fan/light. He discovered a problem which requires that he have access to the attic. I texted James about adding another opening when they come back on Monday. Also texted Norman about foul smells in the upstairs shower.

I spread mulch around the transplants: Azaleas, Evening Primrose, Phlox.

More sorting of bathroom and kitchen items. Ron did errands.

I sauteed onions and a green pepper and steamed a pile of greens. Did a drop-off of compostables.

J&J fixed the stairs to the basement without having to rebuild them. They poured concrete for the basement footing as well.

We went to Bennington for plants from a local gardener: white Phlox and three Evening Primrose. Picked up a little herb garden at Home Depot for half price, but it’s missing a rosemary.

Ron bought donuts and brownies at Apple Barn on the way back. He treated me to a maple soft serve, too.

We did another trip to Lanesborough for apple cider donuts and other treats.

I was able to dig out more of the miserable bittersweet root. Got the new plants in the ground before the t-storm. We watered everything anyway beforehand.

Ryan dropped by to pick up his painting tools; nice to see him and get caught up.

I sorted through two piles of bathroom goods from the old house and found a number of helpful gadgets and enough bandaids and antiseptic wipes to make two first aid kits for the vehicles.

I’m pretty sure the bushes we transplanted are, in fact, azaleas. They may originally have been from the same plant.

Around 6:30 am, spotted a couple of deer walking along our back fence, an adult and a fawn.

Attended a talk by the composting company we use, Second Chance, and picked up subs for all of us at Angelina’s. After lunch, picked up our Senior center lunches, dropped off recyclables and the bad soaker hoses at the transfer station, stopped for cash at the bank and bathroom cleaner at Dollar General.

Ron set up one of the good soakers around the transplants. We got everything – wheelbarrows, garden tools – inside before a brief shower.

Got a call from one of the minisplit contractors I phoned last week. He arrived around 4.

Unfortunately, on his way to inspect the breaker box, one of the basement stair treads collapsed under him. He assured us that he was okay. He thinks we could install a five-head system on the left side of the house.

Wrapped up the day with a performance by contemporary jazz artist Makaya McCraven and his band, including harpist Brandee Younger, at the Clark. Originally planned for outdoors, they started late due to weather. Hard-to-impress Ron was blown away.

I’m soaking wet with sweat, hot, tired and will probably be in pain soon, but it was for a worthwhile reason: transplanting two bushes from the garden abutting the deck to the former location of the ugly bird feeder monstrosity.

They look perfect there; I hope they will live. That location gets morning rather than afternoon sun. They seem to have buds, although I’d be surprised if they bloom this year.

This was precipitated by my wish to dig out a bittersweet plant that has taken firm hold in that garden. Ron did a great job clearing chunks of it, but I found more root after raking out the area this afternoon. We’ll work on it again tomorrow.

Ron did the CSA run.

Earlier today, I picked up a small bag of peat moss and stamps; had to go to the North Adams post office, Williamstown was sold out. Someone told me Subway was doing free sandwiches, but I got there 15 minutes too late.

Ron got a new hose. Love the color. By coincidence, I was thinking of painting the shutters and the vestibule the same color.

Ron also ran hoses around the perimeter of the yard and hooked them up to the soaker in the corner garden!

Our contractor installed the new air conditioner in Ron’s temporary office. It works very well.

This morning, when I was unlocking doors, I noticed that our neighbor’s trash was strewn all over their driveway. They are away for the week, so I picked it all up and put the trash barrel close to the curve for pickup this afternoon. Horrible; they have a cat.

The contractors made good progress on getting ready to install the second LVL in the living room. Soon they will be done with the first floor and (I hope) the basement structural elements.

Finally, we picked up the Tacoma this afternoon at K-M. Surprise: the cost was $120 less in labor than the estimate, due to the skill of the tech! I was able to thank him.

Ron washed off the garden tools and hammered stakes to secure the transplanted bushes.

I decided to throw away most of them but kept ten or so for the gardens and in reserve. Most were either broken or kinked; one was impossible to attach to a feeder hose.

Got the working soakers set up in both gardens.

Visited with our neighbor’s mom and their dog, nice chat.

She used to visit this house and remembers when it was quite different: four bedrooms upstairs and a den downstairs.

USPS says they delivered our air conditioner this afternoon; they did not. Filed a claim.

Grilled burgers for supper.

Hanging curtains. I hate it. Now that James and Jake have the new wall done, I put the curtains back on the window that abutted their work area.

They managed to move a boulder that they estimated weighed 800 pounds! This was in the way of a post they plan to put up next week.

Texted a bit with Peter. He’d been in the hospital since July 4 and was discharged yesterday. Falling off the wet deck in Wareham, broke his tibia in two places. We are disgusted with his in-laws.

We changed the sheets. I deep cleaned and papered the right lower shelves in the pantry and a kitchen cabinet; made up a bleach spray for the latter.

Set up soaker hoses in the new garden and gave it a good, long water.

Untangled the rest of the soakers. Found many had split so not worth fixing. I think we have enough good ones to place in the deck garden tomorrow. If I tried to do it now – stiff, tired and hot – I’d just get mad and foul it up.

I did hand-water the little rose, though.

Ordered a 10,000 BTU air conditioner from Sears for the living room. The ceiling light and fan for the office arrived today along with some items for me.

Ron’s a/c is at the Amazon distribution center in Wallingford, CT! They assigned a tracking number but looks like USPS hasn’t picked it up yet.

Smell of dead mouse in the first floor bathroom.

We are glad the truck is here.

Shop vac did a pretty good job removing dozens of forget me not seeds from my poor slippers!

I got an early start.

Watered the plants by the driveway, put away tarps, installed old liners in the trash can.

Thanks to James, Ron’s dresser is now fully drawered.

Thanks also to James and Jake, the living room ceiling is now almost an inch higher!

K-M called, they are ordering parts to replace the rear differential pinion seal.

Someone called our number five times today, rudely hangs up. I finally blocked it.

I was going to leave the Tacoma at the service center for the weekend but when we saw it in the lot rather than locked in a bay, Ron drove it home.

I cruised around North Adams trying to find the First Friday event, but I couldn’t navigate the maze of one-way streets and stoplights, so gave up.

The time spent wandering paid off, though, when I got to Spruces in Williamstown just in time to photograph a magnificent sunset.

86 or thereabouts.

Found our checks! Ron’s were in a filing cabinet, mine were in my desk.

Now if I could only find my veg recipe folder.

Watered late but before it got really hot.

Ordered an air conditioner for Ron.

James and Jake got an early start. This is the state of things as of a little while ago.

Ron and I got ambitious toward mid afternoon and loaded the truck for the transfer station. We stopped for FY24 transfer station and trash bag stickers at town hall. On the way out, we met the chair of the Select Board.

Stopped at Carr’s and then dropped off the truck at K-M.

Peter called; he broke his leg at Ed’s on Fourth of July. It was pouring and he slipped on stairs, fractured the tibia in two places. Needed an operation to install a metal rod. I suggested he consider an ambulance-chasing attorney as his next stop.

James and his new apprentice, Jake, and Peter are working here today.

James let me go with him to rkMILES so I could buy a new storm door. They had one that’ll work for less than I could find online.

With the emo butterfly for company, I did some weeding of the much-hated fake garlic in the back.

Ron found the missing dresser drawer; it was in his closet. Thank goodness; thought I might have allowed someone to take it home “to work on it”.

I disposed of the non-working mower, brought it to the transfer station.

Picked up lunches, CSA produce and did a small shop at S&S. Filled up the truck at Cumby, bought incense at Wild Soul River.

Peter did a bunch of work. We thought a couple of outside outlets weren’t live, but we’d inadvertently tripped a GFI.

James and Jake got the first header installed!